Past and Present:Our sister's real life
by Nithwen
Summary: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....
1. Here I am

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* no none of the DA characters are mine; they belong to the DA producers.  
  
1.1 Past and Present: Family Reunion+1  
  
Jondy took in a deep breath of the polluted Seattle air, and looked over the city. So this is where you live, little sister, and where you've been all these years, she thought to herself. The view, and the serenity she felt from up here felt similar to the way she felt when she climbed to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge.  
  
Her DNA had kicked in the minute she entered Seattle, and before she knew it, she was on top of the highest place there. The space needle was overflowing with signs of Max. The spot in the bushes that was the perfect place to hide a bike, footprints on the stairs that only genetically- enhanced eyesight could pick up, the way all the locks had been jammed open…even the air smelled of the sister she'd left behind all those years ago. Seems Max had the same ideas about perspective as she did.  
  
She'd always had a special place in her heart reserved for Max, like she had a spot for all her brothers and sisters, but the spot for Max, and the one for Zack, had always been a little bigger. On some level, Jondy had always been able to tell where they'd been, and she knew that if she'd let it, her heart would have led her to Seattle a long time ago. But she was scared, scared of what she'd find… what if Max was angry at her for abandoning her during the escape? The memory had always haunted her, and was more vivid then all the other nightmares.  
  
It was a good thing Jondy was nocturnal, or the dreams would over-power her, the same way the dreams had eventually killed Ben. They had eaten away at his soul till there was nothing left but a psychotic killer. Jondy remembered the night Ben died, the way her heart ached and burned, like a part of it had suddenly disappeared. There were several holes in her heart, one for each of her brothers and sisters that had died, and spaces reserved for the ones she left behind, her siblings that were still back at Manticore. One day she'd go back and get them out, and then they could all be together again.  
  
  
  
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Zack signaled for them to split up. Jondy recalled a brief look of disappointment cross Max's face when Zack ordered her to go with Jondy. As Zack's second-in-command, Max probably felt like she should have gone with him. But ultimately she went with Jondy willingly. Together they'd escape the hell house they called home, and make it over the walls of Manticore. And together they'd find the perfect life, just like they'd always talked about.  
  
But all that changed in a split-second decision, when Max fell through the ice. Maxie! What should I do? It was then that all Jondy's training took over her body, and all she could do was remember the mission: Zack's words ran through her head, run to the wall and get over it, don't look back, and don't let them capture you. Maxie please be okay. Her legs ran without her heart's consent, and every second she ran took her further away from the most important person in her life, little sister Maxie.  
  
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If the same nightmares had stayed with Max, she would never be able to forgive herself; she had enough things to feel guilty about. So she'd followed Zack's advice, or rather Zack's warning, and had not attempted to find her little sister. Instead, she was content to just feel for Max's heart every night, and know that she was okay.  
  
And until recently, that had been her routine. But Jondy had sensed that Max had changed a lot over the last year or so, and her cat-curiosity had overwhelmed her. Not long after that, she'd lost touch with Zack, after another one of their fights, and she hadn't been able to contact him again. And then when she couldn't contact Zane, she knew something was up. His roommate had said that Zane had gotten a phone call and shot out of the city, mentioning something about a 'new addition'. Something significant had definitely happened, and it involved Max, she just knew it. "What has happened, little sister? Why is your spot in my heart becoming warmer?" she whispered under her breath. Could it be that Maxie had finally found her prince? The one she'd always wanted. "No, there's more than that." "That doesn't explain all the other changes."  
  
She looked over the city, hoping to find an answer in the endless rooftops of Seattle. Damn Zack for not filling her in…although it really was her fault. Their last fight had been their worse…  
  
It was always the same, Jondy would be in heat and then Zack would turn up, almost like he was punishing her for not being able to control the urge, and tempting her with his fiery blue eyes. She smiled to herself. She'd come to expect him to turn up, always right before she'd jump some innocent guy on the street…Zack's way of protecting her she guessed…better him than a complete stranger. Then after a few hours Jondy would realize what she'd done, and take out all her anger on Zack, all the anger she had for her body, and the way she couldn't control it. Zack would leave soon after that, with a quick, "Be careful Jondy."  
  
He'd leave her alone with the disgust of what they'd shared…wasn't it a rule that brothers and sisters weren't meant to be like that? At least that's what she'd thought.  
  
Her mind drifted back to a few months ago, watching a sunrise with another brother, watching the light reflecting in his dark brown eyes. She'd tried to reject the growing emotion that she'd felt rising, but she had not been very successful. Maybe that's why she was so angry with Zack after their last encounter. Jondy had begun to realize that maybe it wasn't so bad to love a brother on a deeper level. And maybe Zack had picked up on that too. Last time he left, he'd said, "I know there's something going on with you Jondy. Take some time to figure out your feelings, and when you do, call me."  
  
Only she'd forgotten which contact number she was meant to call to talk to him personally, and by the time she'd remembered, Zack had changed it.  
  
That was when she'd pushed her feelings for a certain dark-haired brother aside and made her way to Seattle. Maybe Maxie could help her figure it out; her little sister had obviously had some development in that department.  
  
End of Chapter One  
  
** I do have other chapters written, but I could use some encouragement…I've never really written anything before now. Reviews please? ** 


	2. Eva

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* no none of the DA characters are mine; they belong to the DA producers.  
  
1.1 Past and Present: Family Reunion+1  
  
It had been 2 hours since Jondy had gotten to the top of the space needle, and she wasn't any closer to deciding what she should do. A part of her just wanted to run back home, and ignore her feelings. The other half desperately wanted to find Max, so she could finally put aside at least one of the demons of her past. Of course that would only happen if her little sister wasn't angry with her…  
  
She felt her body automatically tense up as her ears picked up the sound of someone behind her. Who would come up here at this time of night? A sudden sense of recognition hit her as she cautiously turned around, half-afraid and half-excited about what she might find.  
  
"Jondy? Is it really you?" The voice filled Jondy's head, the voice she'd been longing to hear for over 10 years….  
  
Tears filled her eyes. From one quick look at her, Jondy could tell that Max had been missing her as much as she had. She was finally about to have the reunion she'd dreamt of… "Maxie, it's really you!" All her fears subsided as she hugged her little sister.  
  
"Oh Jondy you have no idea how much I wanted you here. Your timing couldn't have been more perfect…we've been looking for you for awhile, me and Zack, but every time we'd close in on you you'd be gone…actually it's funny, since we couldn't find you Zack thought you'd finally obeyed his 'orders' and left San Francisco." Max giggled as she remembered all the times their big brother had tried to make her leave Seattle.  
  
"What's happened, Max? What's different about you?" Jondy said, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks at the mention of Zack's name. She knew that there was chemistry between the two of them, but what were her true feelings towards him? That was just one of the things she'd usually think about on the bridge, watching the sunrise.  
  
"What's happened to me? That's what I should be asking you…Zack told me about last time he saw you, and the change he sensed in you." Max stepped back a bit and got a better look at her big sister. She looked just the way she'd pictured, tall and well built, with long, dark blond hair and green eyes, the eyes of a cat. In those eyes was a spark that Max could identify all to easily; it's the same spark she saw in Logan's eyes when she woke up each morning. "And now I see you for myself, I'm certain of it…" You're in love aren't you? But with who? It's not Zack.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about Maxie… For the last few months all I've been doing is concentrating on finding you, and not think about...anything else." Jondy replied, well aware she probably looked as red as a tomato.  
  
"Fine then…I think I already know." You're not the only X5 that looks this way… "I guess you'll see for yourself when we get there."  
  
"We? What do you mean Maxie? Where are we going?"  
  
"We're going back to my place, and we should probably get there quick, Logan will flip when he realizes I left him alone with all the other X5's…Zack's not to fond of him, you know." Max smiled. Logan looked so cute when he got mad at her. Probably because they'd always make up later…  
  
"You mean everyone else is at your place? What for? And who's Logan?" Jondy rattled off all the questions in one breath, afraid of what the answer might be...all the X5's…there might be danger.  
  
"It's ok Jondy. Nothing's wrong, in fact my life has never been better…Logan's my…well husband, and everyone else is here because we're celebrating…something." Max smiled mysteriously, a weird look of pride coming over her face. "Logan and I had a baby a month ago, and we wanted her to meet her aunts and uncles. You know how important family is to me…"  
  
Jondy stood back in shock. Max was married? And she had a baby? "Wow…gosh I don't know what to say…my little sister with a baby…wow."  
  
"Well get that surprised look off your face and let's go…like I said Logan will flip when he finds out I'm gone. I only came here because the apartment was so crowded, and I needed some fresh air. Oh my god I still can't believe you're here…everyone's gonna be so happy to see you!"  
  
Max lead the way back down the space needle, with Jondy following her, still not over the shock of everything she'd found out in the last 10 minutes. "I'm just assuming the bike I found down here is yours Jondy…in that case, just follow me and I'll lead you back to my place ok?"  
  
Jondy nodded in awe…then she thought of a question she wanted to ask before they got back to the apartment. "Max? What's the baby's name?"  
  
Her little sister looked back at her, a shadow settling on her face. Max let out a shaky breath. "Eva." Jondy looked at Max in amazement.  
  
"You named her Eva?"  
  
"Maybe one day I'll be able to tell people her name without remembering the memories that come with it. I wanted a name that symbolized the happiness and freedom I felt when she was born…I'm sure you remember as well as I do the events leading up to the escape. I thought I'd never be able to have a complete life until I acknowledged them…so that's what I did. One day I'll tell her where she got her name from; it'll be the same day she learns about the escape."  
  
"Yeah. Her name's Eva. I named her after the aunt she'll never get to meet."  
  
End of Chapter Two  
  
* I just want to give a HUGE thank you to all the people that reviewed…I really didn't know what to expect and you guys really made my day a very good one. I wasn't gonna post this chapter for a while but since you guys want it I'll give it to you…. THANKS AGAIN! * 


	3. I promise

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* no none of the DA characters are mine; they belong to the DA producers. However Bree and the other little X5's are mine. ^_^  
  
1.1 Past and Present: Family Reunion+1  
  
They entered the apartment silently. Max motioned for Jondy to be quiet, pointing to the lounge room, indicating that that's where her brothers were sleeping.  
  
"Max?" Jondy said, keeping her voice as low as possible, "can I see Eva?"  
  
Max shook her head. "Tomorrow. I got her to sleep before I left. If we go in there now, she'll wake up. She doesn't sleep much. When she does sleep, we make sure nothing disturbs her. Eva has really sensitive hearing, if we go in she'll hear us straight away."  
  
Jondy looked amused. "I wonder where she gets that from?"  
  
"Shut up Jondy." Max smiled. "It's not easy looking after a genetically- enhanced baby, you know."  
  
Jondy giggled as she and Max walked into one of the bedrooms.  
  
In the lounge room, Krit's ears picked up low voices in the hallway. His heart began to beat a little bit faster when he heard one voice in particular. It couldn't be her, could it? Zack said he'd lost touch with her, although something in his face had showed that he did, in fact, have a way to find her if the need arose. Oh well…Krit shrugged it off as a dream, and went back to sleep.  
  
Using her night vision, Jondy quickly picked up on who was in the room Max lead her to. She gasped and she cried for the second time that night, when she recognized all the faces on the bed. "Oh god…Tinga, syl…Jace! Wow, I haven't seen her for ages! She's here too!" Since the escape, Jondy had been a lot closer to her brothers than her sisters. In fact the only sister she'd seen since that night had been Tinga, and that had only been a few times. Oh and she'd seen Jace once, that had been a really big surprise.  
  
"You were the only one missing Jondy. I'm so happy all my sisters are in the same room again," max gushed, as she settled down next to Tinga, who automatically, even in her sleep, wrapped her arms around her little sister. Jondy went to the other side of the bed and lay beside Syl and Jace, breathing in the familiar scent of her sisters. Jondy couldn't remember a time in her life she'd felt so happy and safe.  
  
  
  
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The ground was covered in snow. It was cold, so cold Zack could barley feel his feet. And they'd only been out here for about an hour. Lydecker sent them out to the forest in the middle of winter, to survive on their own for 3 hours. That was their only mission: to stay alive.  
  
Jondy cuddled closer to Max. She and her sisters were huddled together under a tree, looking at Zack expectantly, waiting for him to tell them what to do. Only the very youngest X5's were scared; the rest were old enough to have faith in Zack. Jondy looked over her sister's faces. Next to Max were Tinga, Marli, and Syl. Zeb, as one of the older ones, was cuddling Jace and Foxx protectively. Jondy could see that Eva's hands were blue, in fact all their hands, feet, ears, every part of them was blue and almost frozen. She looked over at Krit, who was about 3 meters away hugging Bree. She smiled. Krit and Bree were inseparable.  
  
"Line up X5's!" Zack was using his tough, CO, don't mess with me voice. Instantly they all got up from wherever they were and stood in a line, waiting for their leader to tell them what to do. Zack smiled when he saw the others doing exactly what he asked. The Colonel had said once that X5599 made a good leader. Zack had smiled when he heard this complement. He always tried his best to make sure that he lead the others well. It made him proud to be worthy of praise…not that he wanted any from Lydecker.  
  
"X5452, step forward." Zack waited until Max was listening before he continued. "Take one half of the squadron and lead them through the exercises we learned last week. Moving will help us keep warm, at least for a while. Do you understand your orders soldier?"  
  
"Yes sir!" Max's tiny yet determined voice rang through the clearing. She was trying hard not to smile; it always made her happy when Zack thought she was worthy of helping take care of the others, especially since Max was one of the youngest.  
  
"X5210."  
  
Jondy's heart began to beat a little faster when Zack singled her out. "Yes sir?"  
  
Zack smiled. "Help her."  
  
Jondy nodded, and then she and Max took half of their siblings to the other side of the clearing.  
  
"I don't want to do those exercises…I'm too cold." Syl shivered. "I can barley move anyway."  
  
"You'd better not let Zack hear you complaining," Max said, "come on, he knows what he's doing. If Zack says exercise, we should exercise."  
  
They nodded. Max was right. Zack had never been wrong before.  
  
An hour later, they were beginning to get tired. "That'll do, soldiers," Zack signaled for them to stop. "I estimate that we have an hour before our mission is over. We'll just climb up the trees, to be out of the snow, and huddle together to stay warm. Understood?"  
  
They all nodded, except for Marli, who sneezed. "Are you okay X5413?" Zack didn't bother to hide the worry in his voice. Marli had had a slight cold over the past week, and it certainly wasn't good for her to be out in the snow like this.  
  
"Yes sir…"was the weak reply. Zack didn't hesitate. He took off his coat and put it over Marli's small shoulders, then instructed Zane to keep a close eye on her. He then scrambled up one of the trees, quickly followed by Max. Jondy went after her, and so did Krit and Bree. The others went up other trees close by.  
  
As Jondy cuddled up against Max and Krit, she realized that despite it being freezing where they were, she felt unusually warm. Maybe it was because back at the Base they didn't have time to just cuddle, they were either training or sleeping. The hour passed quickly, and before they knew it they could hear the army trucks coming to pick them up.  
  
They jumped out of the tree and lined up. Zack quickly counted his brothers and sisters, relieved to find that they all seemed fine. Zane threw him the coat that had been on Marli, Colonel would probably be mad if he saw Zack without it on. He wondered for a brief moment whether Lydecker would care that he'd given his coat to Marli, after all he was just helping her, and the Colonel seemed to like when Zack did that. Oh well, there was no point inviting trouble, Zack thought as he put his coat back on and stood up straight, waiting for Lydecker.  
  
As the truck pulled up, the others all stood to attention, hoping the Colonel wouldn't yell at them for shivering a bit. Only 1 truck? Zack thought, that won't be enough to get all of us back to base. He got a weird feeling in is stomach; somehow he knew that their mission wasn't yet over.  
  
"What is your Mission status, X5599?" Lydecker's loud voice filled the clearing, making them all shake even more.  
  
"The mission has been completed successfully sir. We are all alive." Please take us back now.  
  
"So I see. Good work X5599. Take them back to the barracks now for a hot shower." With that the Colonel got back in the truck, and drove off.  
  
Zack looked down the path in shock. He's going to make us walk home? It takes at least half an hour to get back, probably longer because we're all tired. Zack glared at the spot where Lydecker had been standing. It wasn't fair, he thought. Being in charge of so many other lives is too hard. I'm only 8 years old…But Zack remembered his training. Age doesn't matter, only strength and determination does. It is an honor to be a leader. Zack sighed. It may be an honor, but it didn't make his job any easier.  
  
"Zack?" Jondy had been watching him. It can't be easy leading all of us the way he does.  
  
"Yes Jondy?" Drop the CO act. For a while I'll just be their big brother.  
  
"What are we going to do? I'm cold, and tired. I just want to go to bed."  
  
"I know. I'm tired too, but all we can do is keep going. We'll all make it home together. Right guys?"  
  
They all smiled, and nodded.  
  
Zack wrapped his arms around her, and whispered, "don't worry Jondy, I'm always going to take care of you. I promise."  
  
Jondy smiled and hugged him back. "I know you will Zack, and I'm not scared. I know you'll always be there for me."  
  
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End of Chapter Three  
  
* This chapter is my personal favourite…I love flashbacks. * 


	4. Bree

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* no none of the DA characters are mine; they belong to the DA producers. However Bree is mine. ^_^  
  
1.1 Past and Present: Family Reunion+1  
  
  
  
"Would you look at them? They look like kittens all piled up on top of each other like that."  
  
"Man I don't think my boo has ever looked that happy…wait a sec weren't there only 5 sistas here last night?"  
  
The next morning Jondy couldn't remember where she was. She felt a warm pair of arms around her, and the strong scent that only X5's give off. "Zack?" she said, saying the first name that came into her head. "What are you doing here?" That was strange. He never stayed more than a few hours after they had sex. Well, except for that first time…Jondy still had her eyes closed, and was about to go back to sleep and enjoy the comfortable feeling she had, when she was abruptly waken by a shrill scream near her ear. Jondy felt the warmth of the arms leave her and moaned in disappointment.  
  
"Jondy!!!!!!! Oh my god you're here!!!!" Syl shouted, suddenly getting the attention of the other girls on the bed. Jondy's eyes flew open at the voice and was greeted with the sight of all her sisters trying to hug her all at once. She couldn't help it…she started to cry again, but it was okay, because by that time all of them were crying. Well, all of them except Max, who had left the bed and was heading towards an unfamiliar man and woman who were standing in the doorway. She didn't give that a second thought though, she was too busy hugging Syl, Tinga, and Jace, enjoying that feeling of comfort she hadn't felt since they'd all been together back at Manticore.  
  
"Now I see where your clinginess comes from," Logan said as he kissed his wife good morning. "So it looks like I was just a substitute for your sisters, all those times when you-"  
  
Logan was cut off by Max slapping her hand over his mouth, and whispering sharply, "What part of 'don't tell anyone about that' don't you understand?"  
  
Logan grinned. "I guess it was nice having the bed to myself all night…"  
  
Max flared up at once. "Oh is that so, than maybe you'll enjoy having the bed to yourself for the rest of your life-"  
  
"Chill baby, you know that's not what I meant." He smiled, and kissed his wife's cheek, thinking about how much he loved her fiery temper. "It was actually kind of lonely all by myself."  
  
"In that case, I still love you." She said, as she leant in closer to lean on his chest. It was then she became aware that her sisters were all watching her from the bed, and so were her brothers who had come running at the sound of Syl screaming.  
  
"Oh, uh, hey guys…you hungry?" Max said quickly, trying to divert their attention away from her display of emotion.  
  
Krit's eyes moved from Max and into the room his sisters were sleeping in. As his eyes fell on one particular sister, his face broke into a grin, which did not go unnoticed by Zack and Zane, who smiled and looked at Krit knowingly.  
  
"Jondy! You're here!" Krit's voice broke the silence, and Jondy felt her cheeks heat up as she heard the familiar voice. He's got such a sexy voice, she thought. Jondy then suddenly realized what she was thinking about and snapped to attention, smiling at her brothers hoping that they didn't see how flustered she'd become.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Aww Max she's so beautiful!" Jondy said, as Max introduced her to her niece.  
  
"Say hello to your aunt Jondy, Eva," Max said to her daughter as she kissed Eva on the head then handed her to Jondy.  
  
Jondy's maternal instincts kicked in as she held Eva closer and breathed in her baby smell. "Aww…Just look at her little fingers, and her little feet and little toes!"  
  
"Yes Jondy the small features come with being a baby. But forget about her baby features, check out the muscles she already has on her arms…"  
  
Zack leant over and pointed out what he was talking about. He was right, Eva looked like she was ready to take on a whole army, and win. But Jondy wasn't paying attention to that, because Zack had just talked to her directly for the first time since their last fight.  
  
"It's good to see you made it, little sister. I knew you would," Zack said, smiling warmly at her.  
  
Jondy breathed a sign of relief, hoping that no one heard her. It looked like he wasn't still mad at her. She smiled back, then noticed the way Zack was looking at her and blushed.  
  
Krit could feel anger rising in him. From what he had heard, Zack and Jondy had been together on a more than brother and sister level before, in fact they got together every time Jondy was in heat. Krit had been jealous of Zack before, but never this much. He knew that if he had been her CO, she'd let him touch her the way Zack did. Wait! I don't want a relationship like that, he thought, only being the person who stops her from getting involved with other men…I want more than that. I know Zack doesn't really love her, not the way I do. Krit blushed and quickly left the room before anyone noticed.  
  
It's too late for that my brother…I think almost everyone has noticed the change. But has it really been a change? Or have you felt this way along? Syl wondered as she started to follow Krit into the kitchen, but quickly changed her mind when she realized that Krit probably wouldn't admit to his true feelings, not even to her. There was only one person he'd open up to, and she was back at Manticore, she might even be dead by now. Bree…I wish you were here with the rest of us.  
  
  
  
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"Bree! Come on we have to go now!" Krit desperately tried to pull her along the hall to catch up with the others.  
  
"No Krit, we can't leave! This is our home! And even if we tried, there's no way we could make it all the way to the fence! They'll catch us and put us in the basement with…the nomlies!" It was now very obvious how much fear she was feeling, from the look on her face and the way she was shaking.  
  
"But Bree that's exactly why we have to leave! You saw what they did to Jack, and to Eva. We can't just wait here for them to kill us too. It's too late to turn around now." Krit hugged her close, trying to calm her fears, but knowing he couldn't because he was just as scared as she was. "I'll take care of you! I promise! Now come on!"  
  
Bree shook her head and turned and ran back down the hall to where Jace was standing. Krit was just about to follow her when he saw Jondy signing for him to come. Krit sighed and ran after Jondy, hoping that they wouldn't hurt Bree too badly. I'll come back for you Bree, I promise.  
  
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End of Chapter four  
  
*Bree doesn't really fit into this part of the story, but she becomes a major part of the future story lines that are rolling around in my head* 


	5. Crash

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* no none of the DA characters are mine; they belong to the DA producers.  
  
1.1 Past and Present: Family Reunion+1  
  
Jondy looked around the bar Max had taken them to, some place called Crash. The minute she walked through the door she felt at home in the noisy, crowded place. It was just like the bar back home… she looked at Max curiously, wondering what else they had in common. They both spent their nights high above the city, they both had a bar they spent most of their free time in…and then there was Logan. She'd been told he was a cyber- journalist, and Jondy was willing to bet that Max used some of her enhanced features to dig up some dirt on whatever bad-guy Logan was investigating that week. Well I guess that's where we're different Maxie, she thought. Sure, I do some pretty heavy groundwork for someone too, but definitely not by choice, not any more.  
  
"What are you thinking about Little sister?", asked Tinga, as she noticed the far-away look in Jondy's eyes.  
  
"Huh? Oh nothing…it's just that this bar reminds me so much of the one in San Francisco."  
  
"Yeah? Hey now that I think about it, you haven't really told us anything about your life…" Max got up and moved to the seat next to Jondy.  
  
"I guess Zack knows everything, but trying to get information out of him is like banging your head against a brick wall," said Syl, grinning as she noticed the defensive, big brother look that began spreading over Zack's face.  
  
"You guys all know that any information you got would eventually compromise your safety…we're still in enemy territory here, we have to stay on the move and stay under the radar-"  
  
"Shut up Zack, we came here to enjoy ourselves not take a Manticore revision class," said Max, returning his glare with a smile.  
  
"Whatever. Come on Zane, let's go see if you've gotten any better at pool since I last saw you…" they all stared at him in shock as Zack got up and dragged Zane across the bar to the pool table.  
  
"Wow…what's up with that? Zack never gives up a fight that easily," said Tinga.  
  
"Maybe he's had too much to drink," Jondy lifted up the pitcher to see how much beer was left.  
  
"Or maybe he's finally learning to live outside Manticore rules…" Syl smiled, "however the drinking theory sounds more likely."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll be back to his normal big brother self soon. In the meantime, tell us about what you've been up to Jondy." Jace said.  
  
"Just a sec," said Krit, "is this conversation likely to turn into girl talk?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"In that case, I'm outta here." Krit got up and moved over to Herbal and Sketchy, and started talking about the joys of working for a boss who has no life. He definitely didn't want to be at the girl's table in case they started talking about relationships. He didn't want to know if Jondy had a boyfriend, or if there was anyone she was interested in.  
  
"You said there was a bar you go to. Do you work there?" Tinga filled the gap where Krit had been and leaned in closer, giving her full attention to Jondy.  
  
"Yeah…sorta…you know it's really incredible how much it's like this place, same atmosphere, same kinda people…" Jondy quickly skipped over the work issue. Why don't you just tell them how you really make money? They're your sisters! They'll understand…  
  
Her quick change-of-subject did not go unnoticed by Max, who knew for a fact that the Bar Jondy was talking about actually belonged to her roommate, and that Jondy didn't work there. What's wrong with you Jondy? Why aren't you telling us where you really work? Sounds like you've got some serious issues sis.  
  
But Max didn't say any of this out loud, instead turning to an interesting fact she'd learned from Zack, "It can't be too much like this place Jondy. Zack said that that bar is actually a Karaoke bar…"  
  
Jondy was instantly on alert, something in Max's eyes told her that she knew more then she was letting on. "Really? What else did he tell you?" she looked at Max suspiciously, trying to work out how much of her life Zack had let slip.  
  
"Well…he told me that you're a great singer…"  
  
"Really? You sing?" Syl looked at Jondy with interest, so did Tinga and Jace.  
  
"Sometimes." Jondy looked at Max, her eyes begging her little sister not to say anything else in front of the others.  
  
That's fine Jondy, Max thought. We'll just talk more about this later.  
  
End of Chapter Five  
  
* I know…that was a short chapter…I just had to find a good ending spot. The next chapter will be longer I promise. *  
  
* So what do you guys think of pairings? Would you rather see Jondy with Zack or Krit? I mean I've already decided, I was just wondering what the general opinion was…so what do you think? If I get enough votes on one side maybe I'll change the plot, or write another story about them or something. * 


	6. Halley

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: not mine (  
  
Past and Present: Little sister's real life  
  
Over the next hour or so, Jondy told them everything about her past, or at least the parts she wanted them to know about. On the surface, her story was pretty much the same as the others.  
  
After the escape, she just ran, until she came to a large city. Jondy had no idea what city it was, because after the pulse hit, this town became just like all the others: places full of people just trying to stay alive. Jondy had no problem staying under the radar here, since by that time no one cared about an 11-year old girl who was by herself. For the next year or so she lived in an alley, stealing whatever she needed, and killing anyone that looked like a soldier.  
  
At that point in her story, Jondy looked up and noticed that the look on her sister's faces suggested they'd all done the same thing after the escape.  
  
"So what'd you do then Little sister?" asked Tinga "Is that when you moved to San Francisco?"  
  
"No…not then," she answered in a sad, kind of wistful voice. And with that she began telling them about one of the happiest, and ultimately most upsetting times of her life.  
  
After she'd had enough of that town, she wound up in New York, which was even crazier than the last city she was in. That was when she'd met Halley. She was one of those truly wonderful people we very rarely meet in our lives. Jondy learned so much from her.  
  
Over the 2 years she lived with her, Halley taught her all about God and religion, about Christmas and thanksgiving, about all holidays, even Valentine's day. She learned about Birthdays and Family, and for the first time discovered that everyone had a 'mother' and a 'father', and that your brothers and sisters were the ones that came from the same two people. Halley could tell that Jondy had been troubled by this, so she quickly added that a real family is built on love, and it doesn't matter whether the members of it are blood related or not.  
  
It was Halley who taught her how to sing. And for Jondy, who was still extremely troubled by everything that happened at Manticore, there was no better cure than Music. Believe it or not, there was still one radio station left in New York, playing all 'Pre-pulse' songs of course. Jondy would spend hours just singing along with the radio.  
  
She never told Halley about Manticore, and only told her her real name once. When they first met, Halley had told her what her name was, and Jondy had quickly said that that was her name too. She didn't know what else to say. So they were just Halley and Halley, and no questions were asked.  
  
She never again met someone else like her. It was hard to believe that she was really that wonderful, if you considered all the facts. On the outside, Halley was an old women who was blind, had bad hearing, and wasn't strong at all. But on the inside she was, what Jondy liked to call, a 'free spirit'.  
  
Jondy loved her so much, she almost considered her as a mother. That's why it hurt so much when she died.  
  
------------  
  
Jondy ran quickly through the building. There was something wrong, she just knew it. Her body began to shake as she pushed open the apartment door and walked into the living room.  
  
For a few seconds all she could do was stare around in shock. The apartment had been completely trashed. The windows where broken, and the furniture had been tossed aside. She noticed that all the picture of her and Halley had been taken. But that's not what scared her the most.  
  
Jondy screamed as she noticed Halley lying on the floor, covered in blood. She ran to her body and began shaking her, trying to wake her up.  
  
Jondy had never cried before, not when the Colonel yelled at her, not when they took Jack away, not even when she left Max behind. But now all the tears she'd been saving came out, and all she could do was cry, no matter how much she tried to stop.  
  
"Halley …why are you crying?" Jondy looked down at her body, trying to figure out whether Halley had really spoken or if she'd just imagined it. "Listen to me child. There are Men looking for you, several men from what I could tell, they said they'd come to take you back."  
  
Jondy stopped crying instantly and stood up in shock.  
  
"You must leave now. Go and don't look back."  
  
"No…I can't leave you!" Jondy began to shake even more, trying to work out what she should do.  
  
"They'll be back soon. Please, just go. Don't worry about me. I'm going to die anyway."  
  
Jondy knew she had to leave. She ran to the door, but before she left she took one last look at Halley's body.  
  
"Before you go child…just answer one question. What's your real name?"  
  
Jondy couldn't help smiling at that. "It's Jondy. My name's Jondy."  
  
------------  
  
Jondy didn't remember what she did after that, only that once more she was running, and somehow ended up in San Francisco. That was where Zack found her.  
  
Jondy always figured it was Zack who set off her first heat; either that or it was just a big coincidence he happened to find her on that day.  
  
Either way, she was in heat, Zack was there, neither of them knew what was happening and neither of them had the willpower to stop it.  
  
Since then, Zack had been a regular visitor to San Francisco. Jondy still wasn't sure how she felt about that.  
  
Krit came and visited her too, not regularly like Zack did, but when he did visit they always had a great time. Usually when he came, they'd sit on the bridge and watch the sunset, then talk all night, then watch the sunrise.  
  
So what did that mean? Whose visits did she enjoy more? Zack's regular visits or Krit's impromptu ones? 


	7. 

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* no none of the DA characters are mine; they belong to the DA producers.  
  
Past and Present: Our sister's real life  
  
* Hey guys, really sorry for the short and not-too-much-happening chapters lately, I've just been really busy (like you're gonna believe that…^_^) and now that holidays are over I have schoolwork to do as well…anyway I hope the next two parts make up for it…you have no idea how hard it was to write this…it is SO hard putting Zack (or anyone) in this sort-of situation. *  
  
"Jondy? Hello…" Jondy snapped back to reality to find Syl waving her hands in front of her face.  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
"What? You've been staring into space for like the past 10 minutes that's what," said Syl.  
  
"Oh sorry…just thinking…"  
  
"Well that's enough thinking. Come on Jondy, I want to show you something," said Max, pulling Jondy up and dragging her towards the door.  
  
  
  
"What'd you do that for Max? What do you want me to see?" asked Jondy, as Max pushed her towards the Ninja.  
  
"I don't actually want to show you anything, I just wanna talk to you." With that Max got on the bike and headed toward the space needle.  
  
  
  
"Ok, spill." Max didn't waste any time, as soon as they got to the top of the space needle she began the questioning.  
  
"Spill what?" asked Jondy, trying to put an innocent look on her face.  
  
"Hmm…where to start…how about you tell me what the deal is between you and Zack." By Max's tone, Jondy could tell the Max wasn't gonna settle for anything but the truth. "We all know where Zack is every time you're in heat. All I want to know is, is it just about sex or is there some actual feeling there?"  
  
Jondy's eyes widened in shock. "Don't you think that's a bit of a heavy question to be asking?"  
  
"We're not going to get anywhere by being subtle. Just answer the question."  
  
"Well…I guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it…But he's my brother! Isn't that just sick?"  
  
"Morally? Yeah, it's sick, you shouldn't be sleeping with your brother. But technically? He's not really your brother," Max didn't like adding that last part. Even though she was right, that they weren't blood-related, that's what they'd grown up thinking.  
  
When she saw that Jondy wasn't going to say anything, Max moved onto the next question. "Ok, so we're not going into the whole you and Zack thing. What about you and Krit?"  
  
"There is no me and Krit…"  
  
"By the look on your face you wish there was."  
  
"Well…the situation with both of them is just completely different, you know? Like Zack knows everything about my life- everything. There's no point trying to keep a secret from him. And I kinda like that he cares about me so much that he makes my life his business." Jondy looked up, and Max nodded.  
  
"Keep going…"  
  
"But Krit? He can tell when there's something I don't want him to know, and he doesn't push it. He completely respects my privacy. And I like that too. But I still don't know how to label my feelings for the both of them."  
  
"Ok, then compare that feeling to the way you feel about Zane."  
  
"What's Zane got to do with it?" Jondy was starting to have serious doubts about the direction their conversation was going.  
  
"Zane's your brother. Just your brother. Do you have the same brother- sister feelings for Zack and Krit?"  
  
"Wow, that's a good question…" Now that she thought about it, she realized that her relationship with her 3 brothers was completely different. A typical conversation with Zane was pretty much just about the weather, or Zane's latest girlfriend. She and Zack, when they were just talking, pretty much just had heated arguments. They'd fight about anything and everything. But with Krit, the conversations went a lot deeper. He was the only one she trusted enough to tell all her thoughts to. She told him all about her nightmares, and he was always understanding, especially about the memories of the escape.  
  
"Maybe you've got a good point there Max, but I'm still not any closer to an answer…"  
  
"Well I can see that if I leave it up to you we're gonna be up here forever. So I'm just gonna tell you how it is." Max smiled when she saw that Jondy looked nervous.  
  
"You and Zack have a very strong physical attraction. We can all see the chemistry between you two. It's the kind of chemistry that's always going to be there…" Max paused; she could see that Jondy was not enjoying having her feelings laid in front of her. But she kept going anyway.  
  
"You love Zack…but you're actually IN love with Krit. And he loves you too. It's obvious."  
  
"I am?!" Was there even a difference between loving someone, and being in love with someone?  
  
"Even if that's true, it still doesn't make it any easier to decide what to do."  
  
"I know what you're going to do," said Max, "you're going to wait here until I get back…"  
  
Max stood up and began to head back down the space needle.  
  
"Wait Max! Where are you going?" Jondy called after her.  
  
"Just wait here!"  
  
Jondy watched as Max drove off down the street. Then she sat back down and tried to figure out exactly what Max had told her. She smiled as she remembered how ultimately she'd come to Seattle so her Little Sister could help her figure out her feelings. And it seemed that Maxie was definitely up for the job. 


	8. 

Jondy sat silently waiting for Max to return. There was nothing else for her to do, and she probably couldn't have moved even if she wanted to, being so frozen in shock. Max had made everything sound so simple: she loved Zack but she was in love with Krit. Therefore Krit was the one she should be with. Only it didn't feel that simple; and she still wasn't really sure if it was true.  
  
But then she thought back to all the times when Krit had surprised her by showing up unexpected, and how happy she was when he did. Maybe there was some truth in what Max had said. Krit was always so understanding that she almost felt guilty about keeping so many secrets from him.  
  
Jondy pulled her legs up against her chest leant her head on her knees, shivering a bit in the sudden chill breeze that had started blowing. She started whimpering, and she sounded so sorry for herself that even a complete stranger would have gone up to her, hugged her and asked her what was wrong. But there was no one there. Jondy wished she was back in San Francisco, if she was she would have been able to just cry on her roommate's shoulder, and he would have just comforted her and not asked questions. Even better, back home she wouldn't have to worry about her feelings towards her brothers, at least not until her next heat, when Zack would without a doubt turn up again.  
  
Even though her heart was slowly coming to terms with what Max had said, her mind was saying there was nothing she could do about it. Her life was way too complicated to start a relationship, and of course that was just assuming that Krit felt the same way she did, and that Zack understood- when it came down to it, Jondy would never do anything without his approval, though you certainly wouldn't get that idea from the way they fought all the time. And besides, getting Krit more involved in her life would just put him in danger, in direct exposure to the risk of getting captured. Jondy had just accepted it: while she lived in San Francisco, or remained working for the same Boss she was in danger. But there was no reason to bring Krit into that.  
  
It suddenly hit her that after Max had finished whatever she was doing, she'd probably want to know about her job. There was no way Jondy could answer that. She stood up and for a moment considered leaving, but a part of her trusted that Max really was helping her, and besides, she wanted to know what her little sister was up to.  
  
So she sat back down and waited. She didn't have to wait long.  
  
About half an hour later Max came back, pulling a very unhappy looking Zack behind her.  
  
"Really Max did you have to bring me all the way out here? I was actually enjoying myself…"  
  
Zack stopped short when he noticed that Jondy was up here too. "Ok guys what's going on?" he said, look at Jondy and then back at Max.  
  
"Don't ask me…" replied Jondy, looking at Max as well.  
  
"Ok here's the deal," said Max, sitting down next to Jondy and pulling Zack down next to her. "It's obvious that Jondy has some problems, and you're one of them."  
  
"I'm a problem?"  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
"Oh I am so out of here," Zack stood up and started walking away.  
  
"Zack come back! I don't want to see Jondy unhappy. Maybe if we can work out some of these issues she won't be."  
  
"Zack." Jondy's voice got his attention, and he turned around. "Stay. Please?"  
  
He could see now that Jondy genuinely wanted to sort out some of her problems. He sighed. This conversation was not going to be easy. "Fine. I'll stay."  
  
"Good! Now I'm pretty sure I understand Jondy's feelings. But you've still got me all confused…how do you see your relationship Zack? If you could call it a relationship."  
  
"God I don't know…"  
  
"Well if you're not going to say anything then I'll just assume that you just use your relationship for sex and that you don't really care about Jondy at all-"  
  
"Max I can't believe you just said that!" Zack turned to look at Jondy. "That's not what you think is it? That I'm just taking advantage of you?"  
  
"Then what is it Zack?" Max didn't give Jondy an opportunity to reply. "Why do you turn up all the time? Why do you make her life your life too?"  
  
Zack didn't answer.  
  
Instead, he looked away and for a while seemed to forget they were there. More like he was trying to remember something he didn't want to.  
  
"It's my duty…" Zack's eyes became hazy and unfocused, his voice low and emotionless. "My first priority goes to my family…" Max and Jondy exchanged troubled glances, and then looked back at Zack. From what they could tell, he was repeating something that had been drilled into him along time ago.  
  
"Zack? What's wrong?" Jondy moved forward and touched his face, trying to break him out of the trance he was in. Zack flinched at her touch, almost like he was expecting her to hurt him. But then suddenly he seemed to snap back to reality and focused on Jondy.  
  
"I promised." Max breathed a sigh of relief- Zack's voice was back to normal.  
  
"You promised?" Asked Jondy, with a half worried, half confused look on her face.  
  
" Don't worry Jondy, I'm always going to take care of you. I promise."  
  
"Oh…" Jondy's memory flashed back to the night Zack had said that.  
  
Zack sat up straighter and took a deep breath before he continued. "You two have always been special to me. We were a team…"  
  
Jondy and Max both nodded, even though they were both highly confused at what Zack was getting at.  
  
"And you were both so alike. But after the escape you both started reacting differently to things." Zack turned to Max. "Like you Max- whenever you're in heat you spend days trying to run away from what you really are." Zack hesitated, then glanced at Jondy. "But Jondy would rather get it over with, then get on with her life. And in some ways she's a lot more reckless then you are Max."  
  
"What are you getting at?" Max asked suspiciously.  
  
"There are things you don't know about Max… But let's just say that lately, Jondy has needed someone to take care of her."  
  
"Or maybe what she really needs is some space to sort out her real feelings."  
  
"And you're telling me to back off!?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"Jondy?" Zack now turned to face Jondy, who until that time had seemed like an observer, not having any part in the conversation.  
  
Jondy suddenly felt very trapped and exposed when the attention of both her siblings turned to her. "Ah, well, maybe I could use a little time to myself…"  
  
"Ok you heard her Zack. Next time she's in heat, don't go anywhere near her."  
  
Zack shrugged. "Ok… I guess I can do that…" For some reason he didn't look too phased at Max's latest instruction. He turned back to Jondy. "But what about Patr-" He was silenced by a quick glare from Jondy; she obviously didn't want him bringing that up in the conversation.  
  
"That situation is under control Zack."  
  
He stared back at her, obviously not totally believing Jondy's words.  
  
This whole scene had begun making Max even more irritated by the fact that she didn't know what they were talking about.  
  
"Alright, this conversation is over, problem solved. Zack, you're not gonna turn up next time she's in heat, and you're generally going to leave her alone. Now, get out of here."  
  
Zack glared at her. "Max I do not appreciate being bossed around by one of my youngest sisters…"  
  
"Oh get over it. You can go back to being the dominant X5 tomorrow."  
  
To both of the girl's surprise, Zack got up and started walking away, without so much of an argument, unless you include him turning around and saying, "Ok Jondy, I'll leave you alone if that's what you want. But the second I find out that you were lying just now, you can expect a fight." And with that he started making his way down the Space Needle.  
  
Jondy stared at the spot where he'd been, and tried to get a grip on what Max had just made her do.  
  
After a few minutes of silence Max couldn't stand it any more. "Ok Jondy would you please just tell me what's going on with you? I know it has something to do with your job…"  
  
Jondy trembled. After what had just happened with Zack, she was not up to discussing anything with Max, let alone her Job. "Please Max, don't ask me about that. It's way too complicated to explain…you wouldn't understand…"  
  
"Why not? Jondy I'm your sister. If you're in trouble, I want to help you."  
  
"And believe me Max, if I was ever in serious trouble you'd be the first person I'd turn to."  
  
Max smiled. "What, you wouldn't go to Zack first?"  
  
Jondy sighed. "No, knowing Zack he'd already know I was in trouble."  
  
"To true…typical Zack…"  
  
"Please Max, I'm begging you, just trust me and let go of this. I promise that I'm not in serious danger."  
  
"Ok…just answer one question…you're not a, you know…prostitute are you?"  
  
"Max! No way!! I would never lower myself to that level!" But even as she said this, Jondy was blushing because she knew the level she was on probably wasn't much higher.  
  
Max looked relieved. "I was just asking…I didn't really think you could sell yourself like that…"  
  
Jondy smiled nervously before replying. "No of course I couldn't. Now let's changed the subject okay? Tell me about how you and Logan met."  
  
Max smiled back and tried to stop worrying about whatever it was Jondy wasn't telling her about. It was time for just some normal sister talk.  
  
* Wow long chapter…Ok guys here's the deal- I'm really lazy. And I need to know if you're still reading this story or whether I should just stop… (Note to self: find more subtle ways to ask for reviews.) * 


	9. Help needed...

Ok guys, I know it's been ages since I updated and I'm REALLY sorry but I'm having the worst case of writer's block ever…plus since I live in Australia I haven't seen an episode of Dark Angel since like November…what I'm trying to say is that the only inspiration I'm getting is from you reviewers! And now I need your help. I have the basic plot of the whole story worked out but there are a few details that I can't settle on. I need:  
  
The name of the Bar in San Francisco  
  
The name of Jondy's roommate  
  
I'm thinking that maybe Jondy will sing something in a future chapter. Anyone have any ideas of a song that would suit her?  
  
Names of Jondy's friends…or you could just tell me your name and I could use that.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far!! 20 reviews! (may not seem like a big deal but for a first time writer like me it is^-^) And if I get even a couple more soon I promise I will get the next chapter out extremely quickly.  
  
Preview for next chapter: Zack shows a little of his sensitive side and a conversation with Logan makes Max realize that maybe Zack wants more out of life than just being the protector of his siblings. (I have most of it written, just need to write a bit more before it's finished.) 


	10. 

1 TITLE: Past and Present  
  
SUMMARY: Jondy's heart is restless. Time to go to Seattle and maybe work out some other feelings while she's there....  
  
DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* no none of the DA characters are mine; they belong to the DA producers.  
  
Past and Present: Our sister's real life  
  
About two hours had past before Max decided they should probably go home. Jondy now knew everything about Max and Logan's relationship, and she was feeling even closer to the sister that she'd lost.  
  
The first thing they noticed after entering the apartment was Zack sitting in the far corner of the room next to Eva's bassinette, who was sleeping peacefully. As they watched, he reached out and touched her face so gently she didn't even stir.  
  
Logan it turn was standing behind the kitchen counter watching Zack with a half-amused, half thoughtful expression on his face.  
  
Max smiled at the sight and walked towards Zack, who suddenly jumped up when he sensed his sister's presence in the room. "Worshipping my daughter are you Zack?" Max grinned at him then picked up Eva who had woken at the voice and was reaching out for her mother.  
  
"Yeah something like that…" Zack blushed and looked away, his eyes meeting Jondy's.  
  
Now it was Jondy who blushed and turned away. "I'm gonna try and get some sleep, ok Max?" she said, heading towards the guest room.  
  
"Ok…" answered Max, watching as Zack also left the room, heading for the bathroom.  
  
"Was it something I said?" she asked Logan.  
  
"Nah…from what Zack told me, they probably won't be very comfortable being in the same room for awhile."  
  
"Zack told you what happened!?" Max quickly put Eva back down and walked over to the counter.  
  
"I think he just needed someone to talk to…and well, I was here."  
  
"What else did he say?" she asked, eager to found out how her brother had really taken the 'break-up'.  
  
"Well he said that if I ever told anyone he'd kill me, and I believe him." Logan look slightly nervous as he remembered how violent Zack could be when he felt threatened.  
  
Max frowned. "Typical Zack. He never lets us find out anything."  
  
"You know, I don't think you and your family really appreciate what Zack does for you."  
  
  
  
"What do you mean? All he does is take the term 'overprotective big brother' to the next level." She looked confused; it sounded like Logan was actually defending Zack.  
  
"Have you ever really considered what Zack wants?"  
  
"Of course I have. He wants to control every aspect of our lives so that even if one day the threat of Manticore is gone we'll still be perfect soldiers."  
  
"Max he's sacrificed his whole life to keep you guys safe! And because of that, he's never going to be able to do he wants. What if he wanted to stop being an X5 and maybe have a family of his own?"  
  
"Are you kidding? This is Zack we're talking about! The one who's always saying family isn't an option for us, that 'phony sentiment' is what will get us killed…what exactly did he tell you before?"  
  
"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't just assume that you've seen all there is to Zack"  
  
"I can't believe you're saying this!" Max's eyes widened even further as Logan continued to shock her with his new attitude towards Zack.  
  
"Just think about it. As the eldest X5, Zack was probably told from the second he was born that his only duty was to lead and protect his family at all costs."  
  
Max fell silent as she remembered the earlier incident with Zack on the space needle, and suddenly one particular memory from Manticore came up and Max visibly winced with pain as she remembered it.  
  
It had been after one of their first missions without older soldiers. Zack had been given many lectures beforehand at the importance of being a leader, that the success of the mission was entirely up to him, and the others had been told to follow his instructions perfectly. They failed that mission, and Max knew that all her brothers and sisters had the same gut- wrenching feeling she had, as they watched Zack being dragged off by the soldiers for punishment for failing his duties. When Zack had come back the following day they were all relieved he was still in one piece, however they were still horrified by the scars and bruises that were covering him. His punishment continued for weeks, with him getting no food, his training being tripled, and on top of that he had been isolated from the rest of the group for a month. Needless to say, from then on Zack had done everything possible to make sure all their missions were completely successfully and that he never again failed as their leader.  
  
Max bit he lip and frowned harder before finally looking up at Logan and saying, "Maybe you're right. It was, is, Zack's duty to protect us and I guess that I've always taken that for granted. But I'm still not convinced that Zack would even want to give that up."  
  
"Have you ever actually talked to him about it?"  
  
"Well…not technically…maybe one day I should." Max answered before returning to Eva's bassinette and looking at her daughter thoughtfully.  
  
  
  
Jondy sighed as she tossed and turned in her bed while thinking about everything she'd heard Max and Logan talk about. She too had been thinking about the same memories Max was. And this new information about Zack was not making sleep come any easier. For once she complained about not needing sleep, as she knew that sleeping was a very useful activity when you wanted to forget everything in your life.  
  
Jondy sighed again, and then finally resorted to using a technique the Colonel had taught them, how to shut down their bodies to build up their strength. The last thing she remembered was thinking about was how, even if she got nothing else from her trip to Seattle, she'd at least rekindled her relationship with Max, and she was sure that nothing would ever come between them again. Jondy was certain that she'd need her sister's care and understanding for the problems she'd most definitely face in the next few weeks.  
  
  
  
  
  
** Finally! This chapter sure took a long time…anyway thank for all your reviews guys, please keep it up because the next chapter will be very hard to write, however it is an important chapter, because you'll all find out what Jondy's job is. I know some of you have been curious so yeah…review and you'll find out! **  
  
** Oh yeah just let me clear one thing up:  
  
'Borg', what are you talking about? I don't mind that you hate this story, but I have never ever removed a review and never will because I believe that everyone has a right to express his or her opinion and I certainly don't have the right to remove it. So, I don't know what you're doing…unless you're just trying to make me look bad or something…yeah that's really immature man. ** 


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